


Unchanging

by serviceace



Series: Through the Years [1]
Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: 3rd-year AoMomo, College!AU, Developing Relationship, F/M, Ficlet Collection, Friends to Lovers, Post!Grad talk, Relationship Study, Slow Build
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-16
Updated: 2016-02-16
Packaged: 2018-05-21 00:43:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,732
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6031966
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/serviceace/pseuds/serviceace
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's a big step, a different step, and yet here she is hesitant and unsure. She followed him to Touou Academy but America was something else entirely.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Unchanging

**Author's Note:**

  * For [aoimine](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=aoimine).



> I teased this fic idea to Amy like a couple of months ago and finally finished the first part of it. Expect the other two companions fics in like what, I don't know, a couple more months? 1.5% edited because that's how we roll. As always, comments and kudos are welcomed. Thank you for reading ~

“Oi! Stop messing around and go already!” Aomine shouted, pointing a finger at his exhausted players. They’re all huffing and puffing, some doubling over and collapsing on the court or tiredly chugging down water. It didn’t matter what year they were in; first, second, or third, no one was ever given the short end of the stick when it came to offensive and defensive drills. A muscle twitched above his eye and his brows furrowed soon after, “Last one up gets _double!_ Move it!” Almost instantly, everyone began sprinting across the court, ball in hand and passing back and forth.

“Yes, Captain!” They all yelled.

Aomine watched them go with an irritated expression while Momoi laughed a little beside him. “You know Dai-chan, they _have_ been improving. They’ve all been working very hard.” The manager skimmed through her notes before using her pencil to circle a number in red. “We’re up 7% already. I expect another 3% increase after today and tomorrow’s practice.”

He clicked his tongue in response. “That’s not good enough, especially if we want to beat Rakuzan this year. We lost at the Inter-High but the Winter Cup is ours.” Dribbling in place absentmindedly, he leaned down and rested his chin atop Momoi’s head, looking over her notes. There were charts, graphs, and a series of numbers that he didn’t quite understand but his eyes lingered fondly on the little notes here and there she would add in the margins, probably for his sake. Her handwriting was small yet neat and easy to read, a recognizable trait of hers when reading off her notes. They were not cluttered, but rather simple and refined. “Did you get in touch with Shutoku about the scrimmage next week?” He asked lazily, the scent of her coconut-smelling conditioner dancing around him.

“Takao-kun says doors open at three o’clock on Wednesday.”  

“Good.”

Momoi hummed back softly before reaching up to pull on his cheek lightly. “I have to meet Kana-sensei for my advising meeting after practice. Wait for me?”

He scrunched up his nose a little and swatted her hand away before standing to his full height. “You’re so troublesome.” Holding the basketball in hand now, he tucked it under his arm and started walking towards the rest of his team for they had just now completed their beginning drills. “If I have time,” Aomine replied, his back towards her. “ _Hey!_ Dammit, Ryou what did I say about timing your threes?! Go for the fake if you need to!”

 _‘If you have time?’_ She repeated in her head. Despite his words, Momoi smiled. He’d be waiting, he always waited. She walked back to her spot on the stage of the gymnasium and sat down, making sure to smooth out her skirt from underneath her. Crossing one leg over the other, she laid her clipboard on her lap and pulled out the sheet of paper Kana-sensei had given her. It was one of those standard information forms that she would have to have completed prior to their meeting. She was usually quite on the ball when it came to things like this. She always aimed to finish assignments as early as possible so she had more than enough time for club-related activities but this, this paper was different. ‘ _College, huh?’_ There was no doubt about that, but just, where should she go? Rather, where couldn’t she go? Her grades were the highest in the entire school so she had a wide variety of choices.  ‘ _Meiji University has a great science programs and there’s a campus not too far by,’_ Momoi thought. Knowing Midorima, he probably had been eyeing that school as well. _‘Raijin University looks so promising too. The campus looked great from what I saw in the pictures and their team has placed Top 8 almost every year for that last 3 years… It’s definitely my dream school.’_ The manager wanted to go to school in Japan, she was certain of that. She wanted a school three or four train rides from home with a promising basketball team that she could manage. She wanted a beautiful campus and a library with dozens of floors.

“Close in, close in!” Aomine’s voice boomed throughout the gym. “What are you doing?! Get it back!”

Momoi looked up at her childhood friend, her pink eyes studying him gently. “But what will you do, Dai-chan?” He was the working type, strong and good with his hands, but he had dreams too. He hadn’t told the others about it, only her, but Aomine wanted to continue to go to school. He wanted to play basketball at a college level and expressed interest in criminal justice. Even with his average grades, college wasn’t a stretch for him and with his skill level, he’d be scouted immediately. He could play anywhere he wanted, _any_ school would be lucky to have him. Her eyes followed his movements once again before settling on the curve of his face. What better competition than basketball in the States? A plethora of talent, home of the NBA, and some of the best coaches in all of basketball, America was his answer. Aomine would be able to play with the best of the best and in turn, he would then become one of them. She imagined a smile on his face as he played against nationally recognized athletes and those even better than him. She imagined the look of joy and vigor on his face as he eagerly challenged them and she smiled another silly little smile. He’d probably love it. No, he’d _absolutely_ love it. She wanted the world for him but somewhere in the back of her mind, she couldn’t help but think, ‘ _America is so far away...’_

.

.

.

Momoi has heard it dozens of times from everyone. From her parents, to her teachers, to her friends at school, to even some of the members of the Generation of Miracles. Yes, her grades were amazing. Yes, she could go anywhere she wanted. But as she sat here, being drilled over and over again by Kana-sensei, her mind was elsewhere. _‘Dai-chan.’_ Aomine was her precious childhood friend. _‘I can’t leave him alone,’_ she thought. _‘Who knows what he’ll do without me?’_ She knew she couldn’t base her decision on him, but she hadn’t ever been without him either.

“Momoi-san,” Kana-sensei began, her voice gentle as if she was trying for a different approach. “This is a big decision, one that shouldn’t be so easily decided. You have such potential, why wouldn’t you want to aim for the top? You love math and history, why not double-major? Basketball is one thing, but it’s not something that can be sustainable. The chances are very slim in fact.” She pushed the blank form back towards Momoi. “I think Meiji University would be lucky to have you so please think more about this, this is your future after all.”

Underneath the table, her fingers clenched into fists. “I love basketball,” she replied back strongly. “If I pick a school, it won’t just be for its academics. I want to continue on being a manager too.” Momoi’s voice was strong and the look in her eyes was fierce. “Basketball is important to me.”

“I understand that, but basketball isn’t forever.” Folding her hands above the table, Kana-sensei inclined her head slightly. “I’ll give you some more time to think about this but please, don’t base your decision on that of another. You are the only one in charge of your future so please think more about this.”

The pink haired girl gathered her things together and stood, swiftly turning around and leaving the office without another word. _‘She’s right, I can’t do this forever.’_ Momoi kept an even pace, one foot in front of the other, and her hand grasped the mobile phone in her hand. _‘But there’s nothing wrong with doing it for a bit longer.’_ She thought of her team and how in the three years since Imayoshi-san graduated, Touou Academy’s now enforced team play as opposed to how things used to be. She thought of the other Miracles and how much fun they all had playing together. She thought of Kagamin and Kiyoshi-san and Yun-chan and everyone else she had befriended because of basketball. ‘ _I want to keep doing this, I want –’_

“What are you doing stomping around?” Aomine asked with a tiny grin. He looked down at her and laughed as she rubbed her nose, having collided with him without even knowing. “Why even go to one of those dumb meetings if you’re just going to leave early?”

She rolled her eyes at him, wordlessly ignoring him as she took his basketball into her hands and hugged it to her chest. Likewise, Aomine took her schoolbag and tossed it over his shoulder along with his before throwing his arm around her shoulders casually. “I thought you said you weren’t going to wait,” Momoi said, walking comfortably beside him as they exited the school gate.

“I had time,” he replied back, shrugging. “What’d you guys even talk about anyway? I don’t think I’ve even been to my meeting.”

“You haven’t gone to your meeting yet!? Wasn’t it scheduled three days ago!?”

Aomine’s expression turned bored. “I don’t have the time to do that, not when I’ve got practices to run and a team to whip into shape.”

As Momoi began chewing out her friend for his carelessness and reprimanding him for his choices, a sense of ease spread throughout her body. In the end, Aomine would always be the light of her life. Just as she was his shadow, they depended on each other. In his own little way, he comforted her in ways no one else could. She felt relieved then, smiling at him and teasing him like she always did. Their conversation shifted and she began to laugh. _‘He always knows what to say,”_ Momoi thought fondly. Her childhood friend was something else, special and always there. Playfully dodging his fingers so he wouldn’t tug on her hair, she slapped him gently on the arm with a small giggle. She still had loads of time to decide what to do. She wasn’t worried – things would fall into place.

.

.

.

It was now a Saturday, exactly two days since Momoi’s advising meeting. She and Aomine were at the mall together, although of course, not by his own choice. Just like every other time, she threw open his door at the ungodly hour of eleven in the morning and moseyed her way over to his bed. _“Come on Dai-chan, get up! You said you’d go shopping with me today!”_ For added measure, she smacked his exposed back. He only groaned in reply, shuffling away from her in bed and rolling over to the other side. They went at it for almost half an hour until Momoi emerged victorious and Aomine annoyingly grudged his way over to the bathroom to shower. 

“Ki-chan! Yun-chan!” Momoi cried, catching sight of her friends and waving enthusiastically. “Thank you for coming on such notice!”

“Momocchi! Aominecchi!” Kise eagerly greeted as he and Kasamatsu came to stand in front of the two childhood friends. The blond was as energetic as always while Kasamatsu looked a little sour at Momoi’s choice in nickname. It seemed as though he still wasn’t used to it. “I feel like it’s been so long since we all met up together like this!”

“We saw you two weeks ago,” Aomine said back flatly, effectively shutting down the other ace. “What are you even doing here, Kise?”

“Momocchi wanted me to help her with some shopping and I was already hanging with Kasamatsu-senpai, so, here we are!”

“Kise’s a model!” Momoi interjected. “He’s the best person to ask!”

Despite how energetic the blond was, the dark haired ace did not return the favor. With a furrowed brow, he clicked his tongue in annoyance before turning his attention over to Kasamatsu. “Oi, Kasamatsu. Let’s go check out some shoes. The Air Jordan Gamma Blues should be out today.” 

Kasamatsu punched Aomine’s shoulder and glared, “Try addressing me with a bit more respect, brat.”

“Sorry, _senpai_ ,” Aomine said back mockingly and not sounding sorry at all. He sidestepped another punch and started walking towards the Jordan’s store nearby with a somewhat-peeved Kasamatsu not far behind. They hadn’t become close in the three years since Kasamatsu graduated but had developed a sort of mutual respect for one another. With Momoi and Kise hanging out together like this, they were always dragged into it. While Momoi and Kise would shop or go about their business, Aomine and Kasamatsu would usually be off on their own, bickering to one another about whatever annoying habits their partners had.

Momoi watched their retreating backs with a soft smile before turning back to Kise. She looked up at him happily before linking her arm with this and pulling him towards the nearest store. “Come on, Ki-chan!” Although she dwarfed him in size, she easily pulled him along. “Dai-chan doesn’t have a clue about this sort of thing,” the pink haired girl said with a huff. “He’d just say, ‘ _You already look good in what you have’_ and would be no help at all!”

“That is something he’d say,” Kise agreed, his voice almost sly. “You do know him best.”

His words were lost to her as she looked over more dresses. “I was thinking of wearing a lighter color, something like this maybe?” Momoi held out a dress for Kise to see. It was a white dress that frilled and ruffled at the end and while it might have looked plain, she personally adored the simple yet elegant pink ribbon that was tied around the waist. “What do you think, Ki-chan?” She asked, holding it against her body so he could have a better look.

Kise hummed thoughtfully. “It is nice, but the shade is all wrong.” Turning back around, he picked out another dress. “Try this one on.” It was another white dress but this time, the shade of pink was darker. “It matches the color of your hair and eyes.” Ushering her into the changing room, he crossed his arms over his chest and waited. “This one will be a keeper, I’m sure.”

“We’ll see about that, Ki-chan!” Momoi hummed back from behind the curtain. “Ki-chan,” she called again. “What are your plans for after school? Are you going straight to modeling? School maybe?”

“Suijin University, of course.”

She immediately stopped, the zipper that she had been fastening behind her now forgotten. “Suijin University? Doesn’t Yun-chan go there?”

Kise smiled. “Yes, and so do Moriyama-senpai, Hayakawa-senpai, and Kobori-senpai.”

“Why are you going there?”

“Because I want to play basketball with them. I wanted to keep on playing with them for as long as I could but when everyone graduated, I realized that I wanted to be with this team forever.” Looking up at the ceiling, Kise let a small smile grace his lips. “I love this team and I want us to be the best, together. I’m going to study hard to get in so I can play on the same team with them all again.” He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, blushing almost embarrassingly. “Just don’t tell Kasamatsu-senpai or the others, I want it to be a surprise.”

Momoi slowly resumed zipping up the dress. “And you’re okay with that being your reason? That alone?”

“Sometimes, that’s all you really need.”

.

.

.

“It looks like you guys still need some work,” Aomine smirked. There was a glint in his eyes that only seemed to irk Midorima further. 

“Make no mistake, Aomine, we _will_ win the next time we play. A buzzer beater can only save you so many times,” Midorima immediately fired back, equally glaring.

Takao sighed audibly and shook his head, “Yes, yes, but the game is already over.” Cupping his face in his hands, he gave Midorima and Aomine a bored look. “Let’s just eat already, yeah? It’s already dinnertime.” It had become a bit of a tradition to eat okonomiyaki after a hosted game by Shutoku and after the game that ended 80-82 in Touou’s favor, the four friends made their way to the local restaurant. It was convenient in the way that it was close by and opened till late at night. The Point Guard sat beside Midorima while Aomine and Momoi sat across from them. “We didn’t lose by much at least.”

“It’s true, if Dai-chan missed that last shot, it would have been a tie!”

“As if I’d miss!”

“We’ll get our revenge in the Winter Cup,” Midorima replied curtly. “You can be sure of that.”

Shutoku’s captain whistled in an effort to get everyone’s attention, having grown tired of the back-and-forth banter between the two aces. “Come on already, it’ll burn if we don’t eat!” Preparing his okonomiyaki with cabbage and pork, Takao turned his attention over to Aomine. “We had a scrimmage against Seirin the week before and Kuroko was saying he and Kagami have something new up their sleeve.”

Sticking the spatula into his mouth, Aomine twiddled with it before swallowing his food. “Knowing Tetsu, he wouldn’t reveal his trump card unless he really needed to.”

Momoi listened to the two captains’ exchange with interest and was just about to interject when Midorima cleared his throat. Her pink eyes locked with his green ones before blinking confusingly. “Midorin?”

“Have you thought about what school you’re applying to?” He asked, getting straight to the point. “With your grades, you could go anywhere.”

Biting her lip slightly, she shook her head. “I’m not too sure yet. What about you?”

“Tenjin University,” the ace replied almost instantly.  “Their medical program is by far the best in Japan.” Momoi had heard about Tenjin University, she honestly had even considered applying there. It was one of the top schools in all of Japan and their basketball program consistently placed Top 10. A good school that focused on both academics and clubs, it had the best of both worlds. “I did my research and it seemed like the most logical choice. It’s nearby, has my program of choice, a good basketball team, and it’s somewhere I’d want to go.”

“But what about Takao-kun?” Momoi found herself asking. “Is he applying too?”

“No? Takao will be working once he graduates. He said something about wanting some pocket money before going back to school.” Studying her interestedly, Midorima frowned. “What does this have to do with Takao? As if I’d base off my decision on something like that.”

Sucking on the spatula in her mouth, she frowned a little. “Won’t you be you sad? Your partner won’t be with you.”

“W-What?! Why would I be sad?!” Midorima replied back a little too briskly. His cheeks were a little flushed but as he looked away, he reached up to adjust his glasses. “It isn’t like I won’t ever see him. We’re just going down a separate path for now.” Turning back towards her once his embarrassment had died down, he looked at her seriously. “You need to start taking charge of your own life. You have such potential, you shouldn’t waste it. I’m sure there are dozens of schools that have exactly what you’re looking for.” His voice then grew quiet. “You just have to be sure you’re actually looking and not just seeing. In the end, your needs will outweigh others.”

Momoi parroted his words in her mind with a heavy heart. _‘Midorin makes a good point… I need to pick a path that’s right for me. I should be lucky to be where I am right now.’_ The familiar sound of Aomine’s laughter then filled her ears and when she looked up at him, she saw the most genuine of smiles on her childhood friend’s face. _‘What should I do, Dai-chan?’_

The green haired teen studied her face once more but sighing knowingly. “Akashi was right.”

“Eh? What was Akashi-kun right about?”

“He feels as though you are holding yourself back because of well,” Midorima shifted his eyes over to Aomine who was still very much oblivious to their entire conversation. “Well, because of Aomine.”

A bit taken back by his words, Momoi put down the glass she had been holding. “What do you mean?”

“You should try putting yourself before others for a change.”

.

.

.

“Kagami-kun, you’re not very smart, are you?” Kuroko asked, thumbing the corner of the page briefly before folding it. “I’m surprised you’ve managed to get as far as you have in school.”

“Like hell! You’re not one to talk! You’re average at best!” Kagami bit back, gritting his teeth and throwing his pencil down.

Momoi looked up from her work upon hearing the exchange. Several weeks had passed and it was now currently, the week of the semi-finals. It was a Sunday however and the participating teams took the day off to rest in preparation for the match on that following Tuesday. She didn’t exactly remember when studying together had become a thing, but she welcomed the idea of spending time with Kuroko and Kagami. Aomine was always the first to complain but getting the chance to play with Nigou (as Kuroko always brought him along during their study sessions) was more than enough reason to come. They were all currently sitting at the heated table in Kagami’s living room or rather, Kuroko, Kagami, and Momoi were. Aomine was laying on his back with an English textbook held above his face. They were all in their last year of high school, it was time they got serious about college entrance exams. “Kagamin, you’re going back to America, aren’t you?”

The redhead flashed her a grin and nodded enthusiastically. “Oh yeah, I’ve already got my ticket too. I’m leaving after graduation and going straight to California. I want to go to UGLA, Alex’s school. I hear there’s some sort of sister-school partnership thing going on between the States and Japan.”

“Riding on the coattails of Alex-san? You’re awful, Kagami-kun.” Kuroko spoke up, earning himself another headlock by his team’s captain.

“America, huh? That sounds nice,” Momoi said warmly with a smile. She had always known that while Kagami didn’t mind living in Japan, a part of him would always be in California. “Have you been scouted then?”

Scribbling something in his notes, Kagami’s brow quirked, “Yeah, some guys came by during our game against Shutoku and then another time when I was playing streetball with Aomine.”

The manager felt her heart stop. _‘Does that mean they talked to Dai-chan too?’_ Shifting her attention towards her right, saw that Aomine was now asleep and curled up underneath the heated table. He had his face pressed up against her thigh with Nigou who slept beside him. _‘Of course they talked to him. It is Dai-chan after all…’_ Momoi thought, brushing away Aomine’s bangs. He wrinkled his nose a little but when she ran her thumb along the curve of his forehead, he sighed contently, seemingly at ease. “What’d Dai-chan say?”

Kagami shrugged, furrowing his brows as he continued to study the materials she had made for him. “I wouldn’t know; I wasn’t paying attention.”

“Kagami-kun never pays attention,” Kuroko muttered underneath his breath. Despite how quietly he spoke, it did not go unnoticed by Kagami for he dove forward and cuffed the smaller boy around the neck once again. They scuffled a bit before Kuroko angled his head to look at Momoi. “What will you do, Momoi-san?”

“What will I do?”

Cutting straight to the point, Kuroko regarded her with serious eyes. “What will you do if Aomine-kun decides to go to America?”

“I-I don’t know,” she stammered slightly.  “I guess I really haven’t thought much about it.” The pink haired girl averted her eyes towards the wall and turned her face, biting her lip a little so her friends couldn’t see the slight quiver of it. She was lying of course; the idea of Aomine going to America had always been prevalent in her mind. Somehow she had always known. It had everything he could possibly want – basketball, better players, better opportunities – it was perfect for him. Aomine was her best friend, her very _first_ friend for that matter. Of course she’d want the best for him. “What will I do?” Momoi parroted back as she turned back to look at Kuroko. She had a smile on her face, laughing a little to hide her sadness.

Kuroko didn’t reply, he simply just waited.

“Dai-chan would be great in America, wouldn’t he?” Momoi asked, changing the subject slightly. “Dai-chan would love it there too. I can’t even imagine how happy he’d be against all of those strong players!” She put on a smile, hoping he’d fall for it but honestly, she should have known better. Kuroko had always been perceptive. “Anyway Tetsu-kun, we should probably –”

“You’ve been thinking about Raijin University, haven’t you? Akashi-kun told me,” Kuroko said, cutting her off. “Why not go there? Aomine-kun will be fine, he’s not that much of an idiot.”

The manager frowned. “Akashi-kun? I never… How did he?”

Once again, Kuroko didn’t reply.

The air was silent, saved for the scratching of Kagami’s pencil and the ace’s soft curses as he studied, but it honestly seemed too loud to Momoi. The white noise seemed too personal, too invasive – she felt like she was getting cornered. ‘Dai-chan needs me,” the pink haired girl thought to herself. ‘He’d never wake up on time for class. He’d nap the whole day away. He’d skip school just to play street… Dai-chan needs me,’ she thought once more. Involuntarily, her hand drifted over to Aomine’s shirt to hold onto his sleeve and as she attempted to quell her worries, she didn’t notice Kuroko’s piercing gaze.

The phantom member’s eyes were full of concern. “Momoi-san is very kind,” he said. “Perhaps, too kind.”

Momoi sighed wistfully and shook her head before forcing another smile on her face. She didn’t want to talk about it anymore, even if it was Kuroko who was asking. “Let’s just get back to studying, okay?”

.

.

.

It’s nearly midnight; the sky is clear and the stars are out.

Momoi should probably be sleeping but the finals of the Winter Cup are approaching fast and she wanted to be ready. She had all the data she needed – past, present, and future. Like Aomine and the rest of her team, she wanted to win. “Rakuzan is unpredictable… Akashi-kun even more so.” Biting her lip thoughtfully, Momoi tapped her pencil against the clipboard. In front of her, she had several documents and graphs. She was the ultimate analyst and meticulously wrote anything and everything she could on both her team and Rakuzan. She had the numbers and she had the data but there was always a chance something could go awry. “I have to make sure everything’s right.” The manager studied Aomine’s numbers in particular and nodded swiftly. “Dai-chan has been looking forward to playing Akashi-kun for years. I have to make sure he doesn’t push himself too hard.” Briefly, she thought back to the elbow injury he sustained back in their first year and frowned. “Knowing him, he won’t be able to contain himself.”

She put her down her pencil and rubbed her temples. “He always does that,” Momoi said with a huff. “And since it’s Akashi-kun, he’d go even more all out.” Just thinking about the possible injuries the two of them might sustain caused fury to erupt inside her. Her ace could strain his legs or pull a muscle or even sprain something and he probably wouldn’t even notice anything wrong until _after_ the game (and even then, he’d probably try and lie about it!). “Akashi-kun is at least smart and knows what he should and shouldn’t do. Dai-chan, I swear, if you hurt yourself, I’ll…!” With another frustrated click of her tongue, she stood up and slammed her hands onto the table, sending her papers flying.

“Woah, what’s going on here?” Aomine suddenly questioned as Momoi looked whirled around to look behind her. Her childhood friend was standing in the middle of her doorframe. He was dressed casually in his long sleeping pants and his sleeveless shirt. “Auntie let me in. Sorry, I’m late.”

Momoi rolled her eyes at him and turned back around, collecting her messy papers. “You should have called first.”

“I don’t have to,” he laughed. Setting his basketball down, Aomine walked over to her and lazily wrapped his arms around her, resting his chin atop her head. “So how are we looking for the game?” The captain scanned her work and although he couldn’t make much sense of things, his eyes lingered fondly on the little notes scattered about. Her writing as neat and easy to read; she was a life-saver when it came to homework and letting him copy whenever he needed to.

“It’ll be a tough game,” she replied back as she leaned back comfortably against him. “Akashi-kun and Rakuzan, they’re strong.”

“I could have told you that much.”

“But you’re strong too, _we’re_ strong.”

“Sounds about right.”

The pink haired girl reached up to poke his cheek and he responded by taking her hand in his. Gently pulling her back towards the bed, he nudged his head little. Momoi flashed him a quick smile and made sure to grab her clipboard before she followed him to her bed. The two best friends laid together comfortably with Momoi detailing strategy and player details. Aomine was laying on his back with one arm folded behind his head. The other was used as a makeshift pillow by Momoi who settled easily at his side. They talked strategies for nearly an hour until Momoi wore herself out and yawned sleepily. “Dai-chan, let’s go to bed,” she sighed out, rubbing at her eyes.

Aomine hummed in agreement as he pulled her closer to him.

Her breathing stilled and it wasn’t long until she fell asleep in his arms.

The ace looked up at the ceiling, his voice soft. “The future, huh?”

.

.

.

It’s a breezy morning when she finds him asleep on the roof. Her footsteps are soft and quiet so she’s sure he won’t hear her when she kneels down beside him. Folding her legs underneath her and smoothing down her plaited skirt, Momoi begins to study the sleeping face of her childhood friend. He’s got a bit of drool at the corner of his mouth, his brows are turned downwards, and his cheeks look a little flushed due to the wind. Momoi isn’t surprised however, he’s been out here for a few hours.

Momoi taps him lightly on the cheek in an attempt to wake him. “Dai-chan,” she hummed. “You missed the graduation ceremony.”

“I don’t care,” he replied back after rousing awake.

“They gave me yours.”

“Of course they did.”

The two fell silent as Aomine stretched out his stiff limbs. He rubbed at his eyes and wiped away the drool with the sleeve of his shirt. Her body casted a shadow against over but even he could see a strange sadness in her eyes.  Something was wrong. The ace stopped, looking up at her. “Satsuki?”

She felt her heart clench. “I was already too afraid to ask and you never told me either, but you’re going to America, aren’t you?” Water stung at the corner of her eyes. “I waited until the very last minute because I wanted to be sure but you never said anything. Why couldn’t you just tell me? It’s harder the longer you wait, you know,” Momoi said tearfully.

“What are you talking about?”

“America is the best place for you,” Momoi cried. “You want to be the best, don’t you? You have to be. You _are_ the best. After all, it’s what you want, right? To play with the best players in the world?” For the longest time, she had been on the fence about what to do. She took into account all the things her friends told her; Midorima’s advice, Kise’s advice, Akashi’s, they all wanted what was best for her. And so, with an absurd amount of finality, she decided. “I’ve finally decided. I’m going to Raijin University here in Tokyo.”

She was freely crying now, tears cascading down he face.

“We can’t do the things we used to, Dai-chan. We’re not kids anymore.” Momoi covered her face in her hands and sobbed, her heart breaking into millions of pieces. She hated not being able to go with him. She hated not being able to follow him to America because maybe _she_ was the one that needed him. “We can’t stay up together anymore; we’ll be in separate time zones.  When you wake up, I’ll be going to bed. When it’s night for me, it’ll be morning for you.” Momoi was so sad, so very, very sad. And as she cried and cried, he simply just let her. He must have not had the words.

She was just about to get up and run when he laughed.

Laughing so hard that his own tears spilled out of his eyes, Aomine’s shoulders shook with mirth. “What are you going on about, Satsuki?” While still laying on his back, he reached up and wiped away her tears. “You’re crazy, and you always get in your feelings.” He laughed again and the sound was genuine. It wasn’t until his laughter dissolved into a chuckle that he spoke once more. “I don’t have to go to America to be the best.”

“What?” She asked, blinking.

He flicked her on the forehead. “Idiot, I’m staying here, with you,” he added lastly. “I already got scouted –”

“By who?”

“Isn't it obvious? Raijin of course,” Aomine smirked.

“All I had to do was say yes.” Folding his arms behind his head now, he closed his eyes. “They practically gave me the full-ride, offering me this and that. I didn’t even have to get a good grade on their entrance exam. I only agreed on one condition though,” her childhood friend said, cracking an eye open to look at her.

Feeling a little overwhelmed, Momoi tilted her head to the side. “What’s that?”

“They had to give me my own apartment too.”

A feeling of understanding and overwhelming love lit up in her eyes and her heart swelled within her chest. “Me and you?” Momoi asked, smiling excitedly.

“Me and you, Satsuki,” Aomine agreed.

 


End file.
